Tobacco and Nicotine Product Use Transitions by Race and Ethnicity: Results from a Latent Transition Analysis Using Data from the Truth Longitudinal Cohort (2020-2022).

OBJECTIVE: To examine use and frequency patterns across e-cigarettes, cigarettes, and little cigars, cigars, and cigarillos (LCCs) over time and determine whether patterns differ by race and ethnicity. METHODS: Data was obtained from the Truth Longitudinal Cohort of youth and young adults between September 2020 and June 2022. Latent class and transition analyses were used to classify participants (N = 4448) into subgroups, based on frequency of tobacco product use in the past 30 days, and to estimate the probability of use pattern transitions by race and ethnicity, adjusted for the effects of gender, financial situation, parental education, household tobacco use, and sensation seeking. RESULTS: Four latent classes were identified: former/noncurrent users, predominantly frequent to daily (FTD) e-cigarette users, predominantly FTD e-cigarette and LCC users, and predominantly FTD cigarette with polytobacco users. Use trajectories differed by race and ethnicity. A lower proportion of those who identified as non-Hispanic Black (60.0%) remained e-cigarette and LCC users, relative to those who identified as non-Hispanic White (86.0%), Hispanic or Latino (86.0%), and another race and ethnicity (79.0%). A lower proportion of those who identified as Hispanic or Latino (54.0%) and another race and ethnicity (59.9%) remained cigarette with polytobacco users, relative to those who identified as non-Hispanic White (76.0%) and non-Hispanic Black (72.0%). A greater proportion of non-Hispanic Black respondents transitioned from e-cigarette and LCC user to former/noncurrent user (40.0%) and polytobacco user to e-cigarette and LCC user (11.0%), relative to other racial/ethnic groups. CONCLUSION: More research is needed to determine why tobacco use trajectories differ by race and ethnicity. Such research will be important in informing comprehensive approaches that promote evidence-based prevention policies and programs.

Acculturation, acculturative stress, and tobacco/nicotine use of Latin American immigrants.

OBJECTIVE: US Hispanics have several health disparities, greater tobacco/nicotine-related illnesses, lower access to smoking cessation, and lower rates of cessation. Understanding cultural constructs linked to tobacco/nicotine use may provide a greater understanding of future cultural adaptations of cessation interventions. This study used a multidimensional acculturation framework, with cultural practices, identity, and values, to test links between measures of acculturation stress, multidimensional acculturation (language-based enculturation and acculturation, cultural identity, familism), and tobacco/nicotine use, and interactions with gender. DESIGN: Participants were 391 adult Latin American immigrants (69% women); 12% self-reported tobacco/nicotine use in the past six months. RESULTS: Path analysis showed acculturative stress, ß = .16, and acculturation, ß = .20, were positively related to tobacco/nicotine use. Enculturation, familism, and Hispanic cultural identity were not related to tobacco/nicotine use. There were no significant acculturation by enculturation or gender interactions, but women were less likely to use tobacco/nicotine than men, ß = -.36. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that tobacco/nicotine cessation interventions for Latino immigrants may be enhanced with an emphasis on the mitigation of acculturative stress, attention to the adoption of US cultural practices, and gender. Future research should examine specific sources of acculturative stress or social norms related to tobacco/nicotine use.

Understanding ethnic inequities associated with tobacco use in Aotearoa New Zealand: a quantitative analysis.

Despite the inclusion of both individual interventions and population-based measures in the Aotearoa New Zealand (Aotearoa NZ) Tobacco Control Programme, the gap between Maori, Pacific peoples and European/Asian/Other (EAO) populations in tobacco use has not decreased significantly. Tobacco control interventions that focus on individual behaviour change have produced little impact towards reducing tobacco smoking inequities for Maori and Pacific peoples in Aotearoa NZ. Using data from the New Zealand Health Survey (NZHS), this research investigates the impact of the wider determinants of health and individual-level factors on inequities in tobacco use between Maori, Pacific peoples and EAO. A conceptual framework was developed to support the theoretical positioning of this research and to inform data categorization, framing, discourse, analyses and interpretation. We conducted hierarchical regression to examine the effect of factors from each domain on ethnic inequities in tobacco use. We found that socioeconomic factors accounted for a significant amount of the disparity in adults currently smoking between Maori and Pacific peoples and EAO. Our results suggest that socioeconomic factors may be a more effective target of intervention than individual behaviours for reducing tobacco-related inequities. Addressing the broader determinants of health through comprehensive cross-agency cooperation to reduce ethnic inequities in tobacco use in Aotearoa NZ is likely to be more effective than individual behaviour change approaches.

Even worse for Black girls: the longitudinal association of racial bullying with the initiation of alcohol and tobacco use.

We used Poisson's linear regression to examine the association between racial bullying (RB) and the initiation of alcohol and tobacco uses after 9 months. Two cluster-randomized controlled trials were conducted in 2019 with children in grades five (girls: 50.0%; 10 years old: 82.0%; White: 36.8%; Black: 58.7%; others: 4.5%) and seven (girls: 49.5%; 12 years old: 78.1%; White: 33.2%; Black: 60.4%; others: 6.4%) from 30 public schools in the municipality of São Paulo, Brazil. We restricted our analyses to 2 subsets of students in each grade: those who reported no lifetime alcohol use at baseline and those who reported no lifetime baseline tobacco use. At baseline, 16.2% of fifth and 10.7% of seventh graders reported suffering from RB in the 30 days before data collection. After 9 months, 14.9% of fifth graders started using alcohol and 2.5%, tobacco. Among seventh graders, the figures were 31.2% and 7.7%, respectively. RB predicted the initiation of use of alcohol (risk ratio [RR] = 1.36; 95% CI, 1.07-1.70) and tobacco (RR = 1.81; 95% CI, 1.14-2.76) among seventh graders, with race-gender differences, particularly in Black girls (alcohol: RR = 1.45; 95% CI, 1.07-1.93; tobacco: RR = 2.34; 95% CI, 1.31-3.99). School-based programs and policies must explicitly address issues related to racism and gender in alcohol and tobacco prevention strategies.

Associations between gendered racism, racial identity, and nicotine use among Asian American men.

OBJECTIVES: The present study utilized an intersectional framework to examine if two forms of gendered racism, psychological emasculation and messages about Asian American men being undesirable partners, were associated with Asian American men's nicotine use. We also examined the potential mediating roles of two racial identity statuses, racial conformity and racial immersion. METHODS: A sample of 356 Asian American men living in the United States of America (USA) completed a cross-sectional survey via Qualtrics containing measures assessing the aforementioned constructs of interest. The primary analysis examined separate parallel mediation models, situating psychological emasculation and undesirable partner as separate independent variables, racial conformity and racial immersion as parallel mediators, nicotine use as the outcome, and age and employment as covariates. RESULTS: In separate parallel mediation models, the links between psychological emasculation and undesirable partner on one hand, and nicotine use on the other, were completely mediated only by racial conformity, and not significantly mediated by racial immersion. Specifically, greater endorsement of gendered racism was associated with greater conformity with (and internalization of) these gendered racist beliefs, which in turn were associated with greater nicotine use. CONCLUSION: Researchers and practitioners may consider racial conformity as an interventional target to ameliorate Asian American men's nicotine use. Future studies should continue to examine other culturally relevant and/or potentially protective constructs (e.g., on the basis of gender, race, and its intersection) that may mitigate Asian American men's nicotine use.

Sex and Racial/Ethnic Patterns of Tobacco Product Use Among Students at a U.S. University in 2021-2023.

Background: Although the prevalence of conventional tobacco product use among U.S. college students has declined, an increasing number of students use various novel tobacco products. Objectives: This study aims to examine up-to-date sex and racial/ethnic patterns of tobacco use among students at a U.S. university in 2021-2023. Methods: Data of 2,732 students at an urban university in the Southeast of the U.S. were collected in 2021-2023 as part of the National College Health Assessment of the American College Health Association. Self-reported past 3-month use of five tobacco products (cigarette, electronic vapor products, water pipe/hookah, smokeless tobacco, and cigars) was dichotomized. We conducted multinomial logistic regression analysis to examine sex (male or female) and racial/ethnic (non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, or non-Hispanic Other) differences in single and dual/poly (con-current use of two or more tobacco products) tobacco use compared to nonuse, adjusting for age, student status, parent education level, obese status, psychological distress level, and survey year. Results: Male students had higher odds of being dual/poly tobacco user than female students, adjusting for covariates (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.42, 2.82). Non-Hispanic Black students had lower odds of being single (AOR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.26, 0.69) and dual/poly (AOR = 0.09, 95% CI = 0.02, 0.37) tobacco user compared to non-Hispanic White students, adjusting for covariates. Conclusions: Considering higher health risk of con-current use of multiple tobacco products, dual/poly tobacco use prevention strategies targeting male and non-Hispanic White students may be considered.

The Association between State-Level Structural Racism and Alcohol and Tobacco Use Behaviors among a National Probability Sample of Black Americans.

BACKGROUND: Structural racism is how society maintains and promotes racial hierarchy and discrimination through established and interconnected systems. Structural racism is theorized to promote alcohol and tobacco use, which are risk factors for adverse health and cancer-health outcomes. The current study assesses the association between measures of state-level structural racism and alcohol and tobacco use among a national sample of 1,946 Black Americans. METHODS: An existing composite index of state-level structural racism including five dimensions (subscales; i.e., residential segregation and employment, economic, incarceration, and educational inequities) was merged with individual-level data from a national sample dataset. Hierarchical linear and logistic regression models, accounting for participant clustering at the state level, assessed associations between structural racism and frequency of alcohol use, frequency of binge drinking, smoking status, and smoking frequency. Two models were estimated for each behavioral outcome, one using the composite structural racism index and one modeling dimensions of structural racism in lieu of the composite measure, each controlling for individual-level covariates. RESULTS: Results indicated positive associations between the incarceration dimension of the structural racism index and binge drinking frequency, smoking status, and smoking frequency. An inverse association was detected between the education dimension and smoking status. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that state-level structural racism expressed in incarceration disparities, is positively associated with alcohol and tobacco use among Black Americans. IMPACT: Addressing structural racism, particularly in incarceration practices, through multilevel policy and intervention may help to reduce population-wide alcohol and tobacco use behaviors and improve the health outcomes of Black populations.

Births: Final Data for 2019.

Objectives-This report presents 2019 data on U.S. births according to a wide variety of characteristics. Trends in fertility patterns and maternal and infant characteristics are described and interpreted. Methods-Descriptive tabulations of data reported on the birth certificates of the 3.75 million births that occurred in 2019 are presented. Data are presented for maternal age, livebirth order, race and Hispanic origin, marital status, tobacco use, prenatal care, source of payment for the delivery, method of delivery, gestational age, birthweight, and plurality. Selected data by mother's state of residence and birth rates by age are also shown. Trend data for 2010 through 2019 are presented for selected items. Trend data by race and Hispanic origin are shown for 2016-2019. Results-A total of 3,747,540 births were registered in the United States in 2019, down 1% from 2018. The general fertility rate declined from 2018 to 58.3 births per 1,000 women aged 15-44 in 2019. The birth rate for females aged 15-19 fell 4% between 2018 and 2019. Birth rates declined for women aged 20-34 and increased for women aged 35-44 for 2018-2019. The total fertility rate declined to 1,706.0 births per 1,000 women in 2019. Birth rates declined for both married and unmarried women from 2018 to 2019. The percentage of women who began prenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy rose to 77.6% in 2019; the percentage of all women who smoked during pregnancy declined to 6.0%. The cesarean delivery rate decreased to 31.7% in 2019 (Figure 1). Medicaid was the source of payment for 42.1% of all births in 2019. The preterm birth rate rose for the fifth straight year to 10.23% in 2019; the rate of low birthweight was essentially unchanged from 2018 at 8.31%. Twin and triplet and higher-order multiple birth rates both declined in 2019 compared with 2018.

Patterns of Tobacco Use and Related Protective Factors Among Somali Youth in the United States.

Anti-smoking norms and educational aspirations are established tobacco prevention targets for general United States (U.S.) adolescent populations but protective factors remain poorly characterized for Somali-American youth. Here we describe patterns of past 30-day tobacco use and associated protective factors among eighth, ninth, and eleventh grade Somali adolescent respondents (n = 2009) to the 2016 Minnesota Student Survey using multivariate logistic regressions. E-cigarette (5.7%) and hookah (5.0%) use were most prevalent. Male youth reported higher levels of tobacco use across products. Adjusted odds ratios showed that internal developmental assets (e.g., e-cigarettes aOR 0.37, 95% CI 0.37, 0.79) and parental anti-smoking norms (e.g., e-cigarettes aOR 0.19, 95% CI 0.09, 0.38) protected against use of all tobacco products. E-cigarettes and hookah are prevalent among U.S. Somali youth, highlighting the need for prevention efforts that address emerging tobacco products and leverage protective factors such as internal assets and parental anti-smoking norms.

Heated Tobacco Products Have Reached Younger or More Affluent People in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The trend of the diffusion of heated tobacco products (HTPs) is a great concern because HTPs have become available worldwide. This study examined the sociodemographic characteristics of HTPs users in Japan, where HTPs were first launched. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used data from an online survey conducted in 2017. A total of 4,926 participants, aged 20-69 years, were included. The dependent variable was the type of tobacco products used. The independent variables were age and equivalent income. Two analyses estimated the odds ratios (ORs) for 1) being smokers compared to "non-smokers," and 2) being "HTP smokers" compared to "only combustible cigarette smokers." Analyses were stratified by sex. Educational attainment and occupation were also used in the sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: The percentages of "non-smokers," "only combustible cigarette smokers," and "HTP smokers" were 82.8%, 14.2%, and 3.0%, respectively. When compared to the oldest participants (aged 60-69), the youngest participants (aged 20-29) tended to be "HTP smokers" (OR 7.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.09-20.22 for men and OR 9.28; 95% CI, 2.14-40.28 for women). Compared to participants with the lowest incomes (<2 million), those with the highest incomes (≥4 million) tended to use HTPs (OR 2.93; 95% CI, 1.56-5.49 in men and OR 1.82; 95% CI, 0.73-4.54 in women). These trends were consistent when analyses included only smokers. There were consistent results in other SES measurements, including educational attainment and occupation. CONCLUSIONS: Younger or more affluent people tended to use HTPs, although smoking rates among these populations were generally lower. New tobacco control efforts are required.

Consumption of Alcohol, Tobacco and Psychoactive Substances in Adolescents from an Indigenous Territory in the Colombian Amazon. / Consumo de alcohol, tabaco y sustancias psicoactivas de los adolescentes de un territorio indígena en la Amazonía colombiana.

INTRODUCTION: There are very few studies on the consumption of psychoactive substances (PAS) among young people from indigenous territories and evening or blended learning students. In Inírida, a municipality in the Colombian Amazon, there were concerns about a possible consumption issue that had never been characterised before. OBJECTIVE: To characterise the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and PAS in Inírida among teenage evening and blended learning students. METHODS: The Inter-American Uniform Drug Use Data System (SIDUC) survey developed by the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) was adapted to the cultural context and carried out on 95% of 284 evening and blended learning students (262). Descriptive statistics and multiple correspondence analyses were used. RESULTS: Currently, 59% consume alcohol; 28% tobacco; 21% marijuana; 3% cocaine paste; 1% ecstasy (MDMA); 1% cocaine; and 1% inhalants. Also, 61% believe that drugs are available inside and around the vicinity of their school, and that marijuana (62%) and cocaine paste (35%) are easily acquired. Drugs are most commonly offered in neighbourhoods (56%) and at parties (30%). Those offering the highest quantity of drugs are acquaintances (35%) and friends (29%). And 51% stated that they had participated in preventive activities related to consumption. CONCLUSIONS: The population has a higher consumption of the substances studied in comparison with the national reference, that of Orinoquía and Amazonía, with the exception of cocaine and inhalants. The consumption situation was confirmed, so participatory actions are proposed.

Change in health profile of refugees resettling in New Zealand, 1980-2014.

AIM: To update data previously published on the health profile of the refugees resettling in New Zealand, and to draw attention to the change in health profile over time, with a decline of infectious disease/deficiencies, and a rise of non-communicable diseases, a worldwide phenomenon. METHOD: Comparative data was extracted from (1) written annual reports prepared by medical officers at the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre (1978-1991), (2) a Microsoft ACCESS patient management system between 1995 and 1999 and (3) a MEDTECH patient management system between 2010 and 2014. RESULTS: Over the period 1979-2014, the rate of infectious diseases has declined markedly in resettling refugees, and the rate of non-communicable diseases has increased. For example, the incidence of tuberculosis has decreased from 4% to 0.2%, gut parasites from more than 40% to, in some intakes, 15% and iron deficiency from 22% to 10%, while the diabetes rate has gone from 0.1% to 2.7%. CONCLUSION: While management of unfamiliar infectious diseases and deficiencies (especially vitamin D) still remains an important part of the management of refugee health, their management usually involves limited time and expense, and their burden is much less than before. However, refugees now resettling in New Zealand and the rest of the world often present with familiar non-communicable diseases that require long-term management.

Tobacco and Alcohol Use Among Ethnic Minorities in Vietnam.

This study investigates the prevalence of tobacco and alcohol uses and associated factors among 12 ethnic minorities in Vietnam in 2019. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 5172 people aged ≥15 years. The prevalence of smoking and drinking was 19.7% and 29.9%, respectively, and significantly higher among men than women. These numbers were heterogeneous across ethnic minorities. Smoking prevalence was high among Ba Na (25.9%), Cham An Giang (22.3%), Khmer (23.5%), La Hu (26.3%), Ta Oi (30.7%), and Bru Van Kieu (29.6%) ethnicities whereas that of Gie Trieng and Mnong ethnicities was low (3.7% and 9.5%, respectively). Drinking prevalence ranged from 1.4% in Cham An Giang ethnicity to 68.6% in Ba Na ethnicity. A wide ethnic disparity on tobacco and alcohol use could be explained by the ethnic variation of lifestyles, social norms, and cultural features. Our findings suggest the need to develop ethnic-specific interventions to mitigate the smoking and drinking prevalence.

Discrimination Is Associated with Elevated Cardiovascular Disease Risk among African Immigrants in the African Immigrant Health Study.

Background: African Americans and other persons of African descent in the United States are disproportionately affected by cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Discrimination is associated with higher CVD risk among US adults; however, this relationship is unknown among African immigrants. Methods: The African Immigrant Health Study was a cross-sectional study of African immigrants in Baltimore-Washington, DC, with recruitment and data collection taking place between June 2017 and April 2019. The main outcome was elevated CVD risk, the presence of ≥3 CVD risk factors including hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, overweight/obesity, tobacco use, and poor diet. The secondary outcomes were these six individual CVD risk factors. The exposure was discrimination measured with the Everyday Discrimination Scale; summed scores ≥2 on each item indicated frequent experiences of discrimination. Resilience was assessed with the 10-item Connor-Davidson resilience scale. Logistic regression was used to examine the odds of elevated CVD risk, adjusting for relevant covariates. Results: We included 342 participants; 61% were females. The mean (±SD) age was 47(±11) years, 61% had at least a bachelor's degree, 18% had an income <$40,000, and 49% had lived in the US ≥15 years. Persons with frequent experiences of discrimination were 1.82 times (95%CI: 1.04-3.21) more likely to have elevated CVD risk than those with fewer experiences. Resilience did not moderate the relationship between CVD risk and discrimination. Conclusion: African immigrants with frequent experiences of discrimination were more likely to have elevated CVD risk. Targeted and culturally appropriate interventions are needed to reduce the high burden of CVD risk in this population. Health care providers should be aware of discrimination as a meaningful social determinant of CVD risk. At the societal level, policies and laws are needed to reduce the occurrence of discrimination among African immigrants and racial/ethnic minorities.

Recruitment best practices of a cardiovascular risk reduction randomised control trial in rural Alaska Native communities.

Though not native to Alaska, tobacco use is common among Alaska Native people in the Norton Sound region, an area consisting of 16 communities with population size 107 to 3,695. We summarise best practices in recruiting Alaska Native adults who smoke for a randomised controlled tobacco treatment trial. Participants were Alaska Native, 19 years and older, smoking daily, with hypertension and/or high cholesterol, residing in the Norton Sound region of Alaska. Study staff travelled to the remote communities to recruit, typically staying 5 days. Screening and enrolment success was examined by day, season, and staffing level. From June 2015 - December 2018, the study team made 122 trips, screening 1089 individuals and enrolling 314 participants. In the field, days 2-3 (51%) were best for screening, while days 3-4 (53%) had the greatest enrolment. Community size correlated with enrolment (r = 0.83, p <.001). Recruitment was optimised in spring and with multiple staff in the field. Despite challenges (e.g., harsh weather, poor internet connectivity), with active outreach (e.g. tabling in busy areas, attending community events, utilising mixed media, collaborating with clinic staff), the project reached its recruitment goal. Study findings can inform community-based tobacco treatment research trials in remote areas. ABBREVIATIONS: CVD: Cardiovascular disease; VTC: Video teleconferencing; ANMC: Alaska Native Medical Centre; HEALTHH: Healing and Empowering Alaskan Lives Towards Healthy Hearts; NSHC: Norton Sound Health Corporation; RERB: Research Ethics Review Board.

Cigarette smoking and smokeless tobacco use among male south Asian migrants in the United Arab Emirates: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Few data were available on smoking and smokeless tobacco use in South Asian migrants in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study aimed to identify the prevalence and correlates of cigarette smoking and smokeless tobacco use in male South Asian migrants in the UAE. METHODS: We used a cross-sectional study to recruit a random representative sample of male South Asian migrants, including Indian (n = 433), Pakistani (n = 383) and Bangladeshi (n = 559) nationalities. We used multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify significant correlates of cigarettes smoking and smokeless tobacco use. RESULTS: 1375 South Asian migrant adult males participated in the study (response rate 76%) with a mean age of 34 years (SD ± 10). The overall prevalence of cigarette smoking was 28% (95%CI 25-30%) and smokeless tobacco use was 11% (95%CI 10-13%). The prevalence of current cigarette smoking was 21, 23, and 37% among participants from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, respectively. The prevalence of current smokeless tobacco use was 6, 12, and 16% for Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi participants, respectively. Among study participants, Bangladeshi nationality, hypertension, and alcohol use were significant correlates of current cigarette smoking. Significant correlates of smokeless tobacco use included increased age, less than college level education, alcohol use, and Pakistani or Bangladeshi nationality. CONCLUSIONS: Current smoking and smokeless tobacco use in South Asian migrants represent a significant public health burden in the UAE. Effective public health measures are needed to reduce tobacco use in this migrant population.

Association of Socioeconomic Status and Comorbidities with Racial Disparities during Kidney Transplant Evaluation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Black patients referred for kidney transplantation have surpassed many obstacles but likely face continued racial disparities before transplant. The mechanisms that underlie these disparities are unclear. We determined the contributions of socioeconomic status (SES) and comorbidities as mediators to disparities in listing and transplant. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: We studied a cohort (n=1452 black; n=1561 white) of patients with kidney failure who were referred for and started the transplant process (2009-2018). We estimated the direct and indirect effects of SES (self-reported income, education, and employment) and medical comorbidities (self-reported and chart-abstracted) as mediators of racial disparities in listing using Cox proportional hazards analysis with inverse odds ratio weighting. Among the 983 black and 1085 white candidates actively listed, we estimated the direct and indirect effects of SES and comorbidities as mediators of racial disparities on receipt of transplant using Poisson regression with inverse odds ratio weighting. RESULTS: Within the first year, 876 (60%) black and 1028 (66%) white patients were waitlisted. The relative risk of listing for black compared with white patients was 0.76 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.69 to 0.83); after adjustment for SES and comorbidity, the relative risk was 0.90 (95% CI, 0.83 to 0.97). The proportion of the racial disparity in listing was explained by SES by 36% (95% CI, 26% to 57%), comorbidity by 44% (95% CI, 35% to 61%), and SES with comorbidity by 58% (95% CI, 44% to 85%). There were 409 (42%) black and 496 (45%) white listed candidates transplanted, with a median duration of follow-up of 3.9 (interquartile range, 1.2-7.1) and 2.8 (interquartile range, 0.8-6.3) years, respectively. The incidence rate ratio for black versus white candidates was 0.87 (95% CI, 0.79 to 0.96); SES and comorbidity did not explain the racial disparity. CONCLUSIONS: SES and comorbidity partially mediated racial disparities in listing but not for transplant.

Do tobacco industry websites target content to specific demographic groups?

BACKGROUND: Prior research has not examined whether tobacco brand websites vary content based on audience demographics. This study explored whether marketing content on tobacco brand websites varied by user ethnicity, gender or age group. METHODS: Participants (n = 32) were adult smokers, representing equal numbers of eight demographic groups: user ethnicity (Non-Hispanic White, Hispanic, African American, Asian), gender (women, men) and age (age 21-35, age 36+). This study examined 12 tobacco brand websites representing four tobacco product categories (cigarettes, cigar/cigarillos, smokeless tobacco, and e-cigarettes). From January 2016 to January 2017, participants coded websites for themes, interactive activities, and links to social media sites (n = 874 website visits). Logistic regression was used to analyze observed content by participant ethnicity, age and gender. RESULTS: All themes, all interactive activities and all links to social media were observed at least once for each demographic category. Male participants were more likely to observe Harm reduction themes, while female participants were more likely to observe Promotion themes. Older participants were more likely to observe website features allowing them to select music, and request coupons. Compared to Non-Hispanic White participants, African American participants were more likely to observe links to social media sites. CONCLUSION: Tobacco brand website content varied across ethnic, age and gender groups. These findings suggest that other factors, such as tobacco use behaviors, may influence marketing strategies participants recall or find appealing. The findings from this study can inform future regulatory activities and communication strategies aimed at countering pro-tobacco content online.

Heated Tobacco Product Smokers in Japan Identified by a Population-Based Survey.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we aim to estimate the prevalence of heated tobacco product (HTP) smokers 3 years after the launch of HTPs in Japan. METHODS: Our study, performed in February 2018 in Japan, had a cross-sectional population-based design. A total of 4,628 adult participants (2,121 men and 2,507 women) were randomly sampled from all regions of Japan. The response rate was 57.9%. Interviews were conducted by trained investigators who visited participants' homes. A survey on current (past 30 days) and lifetime tobacco use (including e-cigarettes and HTPs), as well as numerous sociodemographic factors, was conducted. RESULTS: The age-adjusted rates and estimated number of lifetime-HTP smokers were 14.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 12.5-15.6%; 7.11 million men) and 3.7% (95% CI, 2.9-4.4%; 1.99 million women). The age-adjusted rates for current HTP smokers were 8.3% (95% CI, 7.1-9.6%; 4.21 million men) and 1.9% (95% CI, 1.3-2.4%; 1.02 million women). Multiple variables were found to be associated with a higher prevalence of current HTP use, including being male, aged 20-39 years, a current Internet user, a risky drinker, or a heavy episodic drinker. HTP use was also higher among men with 10 years or more of education, women with 15 years or less of education, and men with middle- or high-level household incomes. CONCLUSION: We concluded that HTP use has increased substantially in Japan. However, regulations for HTPs are weaker than those for combustible cigarettes in Japan. Thus, HTPs should be subjected to the same regulations as combustible tobacco products.

Examining the internalizing pathway to substance use frequency in 10 cultural groups.

Use of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs (i.e., substance use) is a leading cause of global health burden for 10-to-24-year-olds, according to the World Health Organization's index of number of years of life lost, leading international health organizations to prioritize the prevention of substance use before it escalates in adolescence. Pathways defined by childhood externalizing symptoms and internalizing symptoms identify precursors to frequent substance use toward which interventions can be directed. However, these pathways are rarely examined beyond the United States and Europe. We investigated these pathways in our sample of 1083 children from 10 cultural groups followed from ages 8-14. We found that age-10 externalizing symptoms predicted more frequent mother-reported age-13 and self-reported age-14 substance use. We also found that a depressive pathway, marked by behavioral inhibition at age 8 and subsequent elevation in depressive symptoms across ages 8-12 predicted more frequent substance use at age 13 and 14. Additionally, we found a combined externalizing and internalizing pathway, wherein elevated age-9 depressive symptoms predicted elevated externalizing symptoms at age-10 which predicted greater peer support for use at age-12, which led to more frequent substance use at age-13 and -14. These pathways remained significant within the cultural groups we studied, even after controlling for differences in substance use frequency across groups. Additionally, cultures with greater opportunities for substance use at age-12 had more frequent adolescent substance use at age-13. These findings highlight the importance of disaggregating between- and within-culture effects in identifying the etiology of early adolescent substance use.